Firefox To Block Third-Party Tracking Cookies By Default

For now, the default blocking will only be switched on for new Firefox users. It will roll out for existing users in the coming months.

The latest release of Mozilla's Firefox browser will now block third-party tracking cookies by default.

The privacy protection arrived Tuesday in Firefox 67.0.1. "When it comes to privacy, default settings matter," Firefox product lead Peter Dolanjski wrote in a blog post. "We hope that the actions we are taking can ultimately compel change in the industry."

The blocking will automatically occur for new users who download the latest Firefox release. You'll notice the feature when you go to the browser's preferences and check "Content Blocking."

Firefox's revamped Standard privacy mode will permit first-party cookies from a website's owner to function, but not the third-party tracking cookies. These third-party cookies typically run over the online ads placed on a website, and can let marketers follow your activities from one destination to the next.

Previously, Firefox only blocked these third-party tracking cookies by default when you opened up a private window. To stop the tracking cookies for a normal browsing session, you'd have to go into the settings and manually turn the privacy protection on.

But starting last year, Mozilla began experimenting with taking the default blocking mainstream. "The general argument from tech companies is that consumers can always decide to dive into their browser settings and modify the defaults," Dolanjski wrote. "The reality is that most people will never do that. Yet, we know that people are broadly opposed to the status quo of pervasive cross-site tracking and data collection, particularly when they learn the details on how tracking actually works."

For now, the default blocking will only be switched on for new Firefox users. It will roll out for existing users in the coming months, but Mozilla wants to first iron out any potential errors that might arise.

"Because we are modifying the fundamental way in which cookies and browser storage operate, we've been very rigorous in our testing and rollout plans to ensure our users are not experiencing unforeseen usability issues," Dolanjski wrote.

Existing users who can't wait can switch on the third-party blocking by going to browser's privacy preferences, and clicking on the "Custom" option. Then go to "Cookies" and switch on blocking for third-party trackers.

All this won't make you completely anonymous online of course, but it's a start.

Firefox is also preparing to default block another notorious way online advertisers can track your web activities, which is known as "fingerprinting." These third-party computer scripts can be embedded inside web pages to collect information on your machine's browser settings, such as IP address and browser version, in order to identify your internet presence.

In response, Firefox has been rolling out anti-fingerprinting protections, which you can manually switch on via the browser. There's also a nuclear option to stop all suspected tracking scripts occurring on websites, but Firefox warns it may break your web browsing experience.

Mozilla isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem. Apple has taken measures to stop web trackers by default on its Safari browser. Google also plans to crack down on fingerprinting and third-party web tracking cookies as well with upcoming changes to Chrome, which will be previewed later this year.